Luckily, I have a father who gave me an example of what a husband should be and how he should treat his wife.

By his example, I was able to find a loving and caring husband like him.

My dad showed me that husbands put the needs of their family first.

He worked long hard hours so that each of his three children could go to college and get the education they wanted. He gladly worked overtime and shut-downs to make sure we had extra money to put back for Christmas and other occasions.

My dad taught me not only about hard work but about having fun. He spent countless hours with me in the yard working on my batting stance or my (not-so-successful) pitching interest.

He told me the truth about my performance on the field and made me a better player, showing me how parents can encourage and train their children in all aspects of life.

I think one of my favorite things about my dad is that he never lets someone else do his job. He didn’t let our coaches be the only one teaching us how to play a sport. He didn’t let our Sunday school teachers be the only one to teach us about God and the Bible, and he didn’t let our mom handle all the disciplinary decisions by herself.

I’m so thankful that he is the kind of dad that will turn off the TV to have a heart-to-heart about any matter or come fix my flat tire even after I’m married and out of his house.

He’s taught me so many lessons over the years, but I think I’m most grateful that he gave the guidelines to finding a man like him.

I also owe about 99 percent of my personality to him, for which I am (almost always) very thankful. The older I get, the more often I hear my mom say that I’m just like him.

Daddy, I hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day this Sunday, and I love you so much more than I remember to tell  you.

Joy Haynes is a staff writer for the Hartselle Enquirer.